


Tiger Squadron: Rise of the Consortium

by BaelPenrose



Series: Tiger Squadron [4]
Category: Original Work, Original science fiction - Fandom, military sci fi - Fandom
Genre: Biological Warfare, CIA-analog stuff, Chemical warfare, Earth is a Deathworld, Found Family Tropes, HFY, Humans Are Weird, Humans are space orcs, Multi, No Smut, Plague, Political Intrigue, STILL HAS SPACE OTTERS THO, Strangulation, Violence, human pack bonding, humans are cool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:41:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23555482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaelPenrose/pseuds/BaelPenrose
Summary: Politics play out, and the tensions regarding the Ivari vs. the rest of the Federation comes to a head.
Series: Tiger Squadron [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695037
Kudos: 10





	1. Political Split

The Ivari Archon was attempting to stop his crest from flickering, nervously, at the hard eyes of the Terran Republic’s president. Now that the Dembra Union Chief, myself, as Matriarch of the Nathians, the Palnt’s Speaker, the High Cleric of the Galri and the Epomi Minister had all declared certain demands from the Ivari, the Archon was becoming more and more desperate to gain control of the situation. 

“There will be no more secrets, Ivari. You want the Dembra and Palnt factories, the Terran military, the Galri and Epomi farms? Then you will be ceding what has thus far been fairly singular executive authority over federation activity to a body formed of the allied heads of state.”

“As we have said, repeatedly, many of the aspects of the different species here have made us concerned about informing you of everything. Until recently the Palnt and Galri were not part of the Federation,” he said, apologetically, “So we’ve had little reason to analyze you. On the other hand…” he paused, attempting to determine the most diplomatic way to tell the human President that it was widely believed that humans were insane… “On the other hand, there were some things it did not seem prudent to tell you. Kyriion, for starters. Humans were willing to declare war on the Vulpexi Dominion after we explained that they raided territory. We had no way of knowing of the Synthor, but as many of you know, the humans are known for taking reckless action and actively seeking out risk to engage.” 

The Dembra and the Epomi were willing to agree with that, but were absolutely not going to allow the Ivari to continue being the unrivaled head of state for the Federation. That said, they did both give the human president concerned looks. I couldn’t believe his answer. The humans had come to our aid, was the Archon so arrogant as to discount what they’d done for half the species in the room?

The human president’s gaze was steely. “Humanity didn’t pick that war. The Vulpexi had been raiding and enslaving federation members for decades when we joined. The fact that the Ivari leadership were too timid to wage war on an enemy actively attacking those under their rule until we arrived makes the Ivari weak and unwilling to defend their people; it does not make humanity reckless.”

The Ivari Archon reacted with irritation. “Hardly a fair statement. We couldn’t have won a war with them prior to your involvement.”

I could no longer contain myself and snapped out, “Our warriors frequently died fighting battles they couldn’t win in order to buy their families time to escape against Vulpexi ships. We fought because we understood the importance of protecting those under our protection.”

The Galri High Cleric flicked xer fingers in agreement. “I agree. Humanity was my race’s rescuer, TWICE. They are the reason the new Kyriion threat was extinguished, and the reason my people were liberated. For you to insinuate that their valor in the face of long odds is nothing short of an insult to my entire species, a declaration that our liberation and survival don’t mean anything.

The Ivari Archon was forced to apologize for that particular implication, however he was uncomfortable with the level of rage the other species were showing. Knowing full well that the Ivari could not survive alone, he chose to capitulate. “You’re correct. We should have been more open with you. From now on, the Dembra, Epomi, Nathians, and Humans, as long-term members of the Federation, will be fully informed and have equal say in political decision making.”

The human President spoke. “What about the Galri and the Palnt?”

“They were only recently admitted to the Federation, and as a result I’m not sure…”

I cut him off. “No. They have full rights as Federation members, or my people secede. Not just for principle, but because if the Ivari are permitted to decide who gets to know what, the rest of us are still not considered your equals. Especially given that your predecessor’s secret-keeping during the war itself added thousands of unnecessary deaths for both of them.”

The Ivari Archon wasn’t prepared to answer that. “I will…bring this to my people. You will have your answer in a cycle.” The Dembra Union Chief and Epomi Minister nodded. “Fair.”

The Human, Galri, Palnt, and we Nathians did not. “Fair enough, for now. However, until we get an answer to our satisfaction, the Ivari may not call upon Palnt factories to supply them, Nathians to bring them medicine or power banks, Galri farms or medicines to feed or aid them, and may not call upon humans to fight for them. Until we have full equality, you go without our assistance. The Dembra and Epomi may decide to call upon our aid if they agree to stop supplying you, and the others in this group may request assistance freely.”

The Human president continued. “My people did not destroy the Vulpexi Dominion and help liberate its captives so that some Ivari could decide their rights instead of a Vulpexi. Our species fought countless wars before we ascended to the stars about this very issue. No one people has a right to rule over others. If you do not accept that principle, you will get nothing further from us.” Humans, they always surprise you with their loyalty, and their refusal to back down when honor or bonded creatures are threatened. Even when you should know better.

The Federation representatives, Ivari, Dembra, and Epomi, went to their respective ships and flew home. The new faction looked at each other. “If they give us an answer not satisfactory, we can secede. Form our own Federation.”

“No, Alliance. A group of equals agreeing to come to mutual aid as needed.” That sounded better. I spoke first. “As Matriarch of Nathia, I proudly accept your terms.” The Galri and Palnt followed suit.


	2. A Day Long Awaited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Politics might be tense, but Jake and Callie are ignoring it. They're in the midst of yet another attempt at being normal people. And hey, they're finally getting married.

[Wedding Music for Jake/Callie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyXBXl3DaGg)

It was good to be back on Tildas II, the planet where the Horizons had crashed, where we’d been raised…Where we’d become what we are. All the better for the fact that after years of almost dying in the cold void of space alongside a boy who’d grown up next to me, soared through the deep between the stars with me, and fought alongside me, I was finally getting married to him surrounded by the tribe that had raised me, next to our parents final resting place.

The outfit was certainly interesting. Dress blues for both myself and Jake, but with some modifications. My dress trousers had been replaced by a long, full-natural silk skirt woven by hand by Palnt craftsmen. Jake’s own jacket included an alteration in the form of a long woven cloak that was made by our adoptive clan. In addition, we were both without our usual flight shoes, as the tradition of the clan that had adopted us held to going barefoot on your wedding day. Increase sensory input of the day you bind yourself wholly to another person, help you remember it.

***

Namna was laughing, enjoying the festivities. The Galri had arrived on their great living ships, bringing all manner of trained, bright-colored songbirds that would sing and dance through the air as part of the festivities. Humans and Nathians had cooked, and the altar, which Jake and Callie requested, had been custom forged by the Palnt from a piece of the ship that had brought them there.

Humans, especially Col. Jaegar and Sgt. Adisa were passing out drinks, which was one part of human celebrations, intoxicants that made the party fun. The Namna didn’t quite get it, and trying to explain to Imdi of the Galri or the poor Palnt that humans simply enjoyed lowering their inhibitions for parties was difficult since most of the other species were at least mildly terrified of the very idea of humans with even lower inhibitions. Actually at least one Galri asked her if humans had inhibitions in their normal state.

“Of course! They’re just…different, inhibition wise. The things that are dangerous to us aren’t always to them.”

That was mostly greeted with a stunned silence as Col. Jaegar and Sgt. Adisa started throwing knives at each other and catching them as part of a game after a few rounds of rum and stout. Imdi turned back to Namna and said, “I see.”

Commander Shiloh Hendrix had apparently picked the music selection for the party itself. Late 20th and early 21st century symphonic metal were in evidence on the reception playlist, but traditional human love songs were more common prior to that. Soon enough, the wedding itself began.

Callie and Jake, as per Nathian tradition, walked from two opposite ends of the area, towards the altar in the center. The music was sweet, slow, gradually increasing in tempo until they both threw themselves into a sprint over the ground into each other’s arms. Their vows were exchanged, to always protect one another, to hold and care for one another, in sickness, health, good or mean fortune, to never abandon one another regardless of circumstance, and to carry forward in their lives together. The cloaks they were wearing were quickly fastened around them, linked up as a blanket wrapped around them both by Namna while the Galri cleric, Imdi, spoke a blessing. They trailed their hands onto the altar, then clasped them together and kissed. 

“Callie and Jake Andala, you are now bound together by love and oath forever.”

The two of them ran off, laughing and holding hands, to spend time together.

The party was insane. The music flared and different species danced, Jake and Callie dancing and whirling through together. Jaegar and Adisa were easy to spot among the crowds of even other humans, his paleness and her darkness standing out at marked contrast from the tan of the crowd, and the two of them danced, somehow making it look like a martial exercise. Hendrix watched the party go on, eventually taking a swig of the drinks that the other human officers had brought and grabbing a surprised Palnt leader and spinning him into a dance, which surprisingly, the nimble, dense-boned being was more than capable of doing and doing well, even to the rhythmic demands of human music.

As the party wound down, Imdi reflected. Xe’d heard the human music that had been played before, by Jake and Callie in battle. One of the songs, anyway. Now that xe had a translation microbe, which humans insisted on calling the “Babel fish” for some reason, xe realized that the song was about life, energy, pursuit of happiness regardless of the odds. A perfect song for humans.

For proof, she merely looked at the two who had just married. Time and time again, they should have died, but they kept on going, fighting for each other. Jake and Callie off in the distance were still kissing, running around, dancing, laughing…

\----

Jake and I were happy. Our adoptive homeworld, away from prying eyes of all but our friends of several species. We were human, we were Nathian, we were alive and together and THAT, with Nightwish and Digital Daggers thrumming through us and the grass beneath our feet and the blanket around us…

That was all we were looking for, this day. This was what victory felt like. Victory was being able to hold someone you loved, the hell away from fighting and just live.


	3. Consortium Territories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adisa moves to investigate things in Consortium territory, an old enemy of hers is discovered

Sgt. “Mamba” Adisa of the Terran Republic Army Special Command 03, “Viper Team” was going to experience a stealth-insertion onto Veplix Prime, the Vulpexi homeworld and now capitol of the Consortium, the special economic zone and independent political entity formed of the remnant of the Vulpexi Dominion, some renegade Ivari traders and some human corporate executives. There were rumors of unsavory dealings for massive sums of money in this region, ones that violated the Treaty of Tenebras, the official surrender form signed by the Vulpexi dominion. 

Adisa and her team, twenty elite operatives of both intelligence and special operations forces from all over Terra, were being inserted at different points on the planet. This might have been riskier in other circumstances, no Vulpexi had seen her face during the war and lived, and unlike Wolf Regiment, Tiger Squadron, Lion Fleet, the Ursa Shock Battalion or the Rhino tank units, Viper team had been kept out of publicity. 

That was fortunate. Currently in civilian garb, carrying nothing more than a compact, internally-suppressed Lancer pistol and knife, Adisa stepped off the ship, looking for all the world like a run-of-the mill mercenary. Her dark skin, unusual in an era where discernable ethnicity become quite rare in humans made her stand out, but not too much. There were still a few people, here and there, as dark as her or as pale as Jaegar. For now, she walked easily among the streets, seeing Tyrsian mercenaries, humans here and there, Vulpexi in their artificial exoskeletons that made them far more mobile.

There was a reformist Vulpexi group, composed of members of that race that had aggressively pushed for reparations and full reform of Vulpexi society on this world, one who had agreed to provide a contract for her to come here. Officially, she was a mercenary brought in to bodyguard some reformist bigwig against some of the consortium’s criminal elements.

Adisa kept her movements calm, assured. Walk like you should be here, they’ll overlook you. Spec Ops civilian blending 101. People see what they expect to see. Woman in light armor and carrying light weapons in this area? Mercenary. Act like it. She put a bit of swagger to her step, keeping her eyes flashing around as she took in the merchants of all species hawking their wares. She slipped into a dwelling, where she had been told her contact would be meeting with her, and spoke to the Vulpexi within.

“Adisa,” the Vulpexi, Endirmas, she remembered, greeted her. She closed the door, quickly then glowered. “Room clear?”

The Vulpexi’s eyestalks dipped, “Of course. No listening devices. I was, with the assistance of a few others, including former slaves of the Dominion, able to gain access to the Consortium’s contract systems. Drotas, the Vulpexi triarch of the Consortium, is too clever to get his own hands dirty with the kind of things they’re trading in, in violation of the Tenebras Treaty. However, they have a certain, um, employee, who seems to be handling that sort of thing for them.”

Adisa blinked. “Employee? A mercenary?”

“A human one, in fact. Which shocked me, when I’d first heard it, I would have sworn none of your people would ever work for us, not after the war.”

Adisa grinned and shrugged, her mind working quickly. “Some of us wouldn’t, but as humans say, “politics make for strange bedfellows.”

Endirmas blinked, then rippled. “I understand that euphemism, but do not wish to mate with you, Adisa.”

“What? No, it’s an idiom, it means…it means that politics can make strange alliances happen. That’s all.” The reasonably dorky Vulpexi dipped his eyestalks again, then nodded. “Alright. I…apologize at my reaction, if it was rude, but…”

“Don’t worry about it. Back on subject, what’s this mercenary’s name?”

The Vulpexi nodded. “I was surprised that our own Triarch was willing to work with him, or the Ivari renegade. Our intelligence from the war indicated that he was considered one of the worst, the most horrible…”

Adisa had a bad idea of where this was going. “His name?”

“Murdoch.”

Adisa swore. Not just in Galick, the universal language of the galaxy, no, several human languages, Nathian dialects and the Galri tongue all got their turn to have their most blasphemous oaths used. “I thought he’d died. He split off from the Terran Republic ages ago, went MIA near the end of the war, then vanished. He was set to be executed if he was ever found…”

She trailed off, Endirmas looking at her. She continued, slowly, “He has to die.”

“I haven’t even told you what they’re trading in yet.”

“I will need to know that, but I’m not leaving without Murdoch’s head on a plate. He’s too dangerous to be left alive.”

Endirmas looked at her, his own mind working. Humans did not attack their own unless they had to. They did not brutalize their allies. He’d assumed Murdoch was cast out for being an exception, but Adisa seemed to be taking his mere existence personally. This was, from the perspective of a reformist Vulpexi scholar, a prime research opportunity. But how to approach it?

“Ma’am,” he said, respectfully. “I would like to inquire a bit about this…Murdoch, so as to share information and gain a better understanding of who we are up against, and who I’m working with, as well.”

Adisa paused, then nodded. “Alright then. Sit down, it’s going to be a while.”


	4. Debrief on Murdoch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Endirmas Blorgi's transcript of his interview with Adisa on the subject of their new enemy.

I, Endirmas of the Vulpexi Phile, Blorgi, have gotten an interview with the legendary Sergeant Adisa, leader of the Terran Republic Army Special Command 03, Viper Team, about the actions and crimes of one Captain Murdoch, currently the human Triarch of the Consortium. I offer this both as record of human interaction and proof that they do have a sense of honor, and as a defense for her in court of law should she choose to execute him for his crimes against sapient life. The following is my transcription of the debriefing she gave me on him. I have attempted to reduce my own presence in this.

Captain Murdoch was attached to Special Command 07, the Spiders. The shit they did is mostly classified even from me, however he was involved during the Siege on Tenebras. I can’t say for sure if I am getting the details correct, since most of the things he did are again, still classified.

I know that after we colonized Tenebras IV, it came to light that it had been used as a Vulpexi black site where your empire was doing…things. Cybernetic enhancements, genetic engineering, bioweapons, chemical, all of it. I know that he and I were working together back then, at least on that particular assignment. One of the things about being in the military, you don’t always get to choose who you work with. We were digging around in the vaults of the black site and found some truly horrifying shit, I do know that much, and as we sent the information about what we’d discovered to the Star Marshall, I remember both our teams were dead silent, looking at the shit they had there. 

I saw the Synthor, and Kyriion. Those were horrifying but…I suspect at least one of the things being worked on in that lab was a lobotomized strain of that virus. That kind of “horrifying shit.” As we looked around at victims of the experiments, and started cleaning up the bodies of the Vulpexi operatives we’d killed taking the facility… she pauses, and looks at me, as though waiting for me to defend my people, but I remain silent. Having discovered in the aftermath some of what the Dominion higher-ups had authorized, I cannot dispute her actions. 

At any rate, orders came down, straight from the Star Marshall. Everything in that facility was to be destroyed. I remember Murdoch asking me if I thought that was a good idea, he clearly thought it would be better if we used it in wars of our own. That disturbed me a bit at the time, but hell, we had seen some shit, soldiers spout off.

The problem was that I was being called away to attend other operations, and he wasn’t. I assumed he’d grumbled but obeyed orders, but when I saw him again, he was certainly faster and stronger than any human had any right to be. Cybernetic enhancement isn’t illegal, and commonly done for amputees at their request. The problem…

Do you remember the Revenant Corps? That group of cybernetically enhanced ex-slaves of the Dominion who took no prisoners and led several attacks? Well, there was a good deal to suggest that actually, Murdoch had those enhancements done illegally, and simply changed the microchip controls of the slaves he rescued so they had to obey him instead of the Vulpexi. Then you’ve got the reports of him using civilians as bait, or…and this one is one we know for certain he did on purpose, the one that got him the warrant for his execution.

It was during the raids at Trasisc III, he and his forces had taken the slave processing facility and were in the process of assisting evacuation. However…enemy reinforcements were getting there faster than anticipated, and Murdoch had his back to a wall. He could have done his duty and fought against the attack, instead of doing what he did. Maybe he would have lost. Maybe he would have won. What he did instead was what got him sentenced. 

He and his men pulled out of the facility, telling the refugees to stay there while they drew off the Vulpexi forces. He knew full well that the Dominion officer would attempt to re-take the facility, but he figured that he could get away with lying to a group of terrified, helpless sapients. The thing is, standard procedure…Well, you know. We always set charges to destroy those facilities behind us after they were evacuated, so that the Vulpexi could get no further use of them.

Adisa pauses, clearly horrified, as I reflect on the fact that this Captain Murdoch is widely condemned by humanity for simply retreating when there were civilians in danger, instead of remaining and fighting what could have possibly been a hopeless battle. It does not seem a great crime to me, however, as I am beginning to realize, humanity takes loyalty seriously. However, it is what Adisa says next that I think would warrant an execution.

And once the Dominion troops took over the facility, and he and his forces were safely at a distance, he detonated the charges. Sacrificed some twenty thousand innocent lives to destroy a Vulpexi armored vehicle unit. Just leaving sapients in those conditions would have been dicey but with the tactical situation being what it was, he could have argued and argued well that a tactical retreat was necessary. However, to merely sacrifice tense of thousands of lives and submit to High Command a detailed report, even going so far as to ADVISE such tactics in future engagements…

This doesn’t even account to the number of lives lost because Vulpexi captives stopped trusting Terran Republic soldiers after that incident, thanks to Dominion propaganda. His other actions started being noted after that with closer oversight. He was known for knocking down Dembra buildings on top of Vulpexi or deliberately using residence areas as traps. This wasn’t so bad when he briefly appeared again during the Kyriion crisis taking on the Synthor for the Consortium, since any area he hit there was dead already, but at the point where you use civilians you are supposed to protect as bait, then, when you realize that command is angry about it, try to justify it as a way of reducing enemy war production…

_ I shudder. I remember reports of such actions, and the terror it had induced in the Dominion to believe that humans were no longer holding anything back, even to defend their allies. The truth, that the Consortium triarchs had brought in a man cruel and mad even by human standards was all the worse.  _

Then there was the knowledge that abandoning civilians was a criminal offense in the Terran republic military, which was fascinating and terrifying all at once. A race that held to its martial ideals of defending the defenseless, so much that death was considered not only a preferable but almost mandatory alternative. 

Madness. And yet, it was what the Phile Blorgi had been seeking to determine about them. The extent of their bonding. The possibility that our phile could perhaps make an alliance with them, dealing in good faith, to create a new Vulpexi state, an egalitarian one that would be able to join with the Alliance or Federation. 


	5. False Flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murdoch demonstrates why he's a threat, the fragile peace of the galaxy is shattered.

The Alliance, composed of four sovereign states. The Terran Republic, a democratic government, the Nathian Collective, a tribal assembly, the Palnt Union, basically a co-op made into a nation-state, and the Galri Chorus, a spiritualist nation who held to living technology and the sanctity of life. Each of these had an independent government, but there was an overall government to the Alliance as well, with delegates from each state contained wherein, with all military leadership being held by the Terran Republic’s Star Marshall.

The Federation, led by the Ivari, with the Dembra Chief and Epomi Minister as subordinate leaders to the Ivari Archon, expanding slowly, but well-connected and fairly inward-focused.

The Consortium, a Megacorporate nation-state led by the Vulpexi and Tyrsians, with Ivari and Human renegades involved as well. 

And the Keldebriar Confederation, whose people had barely survived the original Kyriion outbreak, hundreds of years prior, and had re-structured in the aftermath into a highly efficient, militarized state, more than willing to form alliances. 

It was in this environment, during a peaceful meeting between the Federation, still angry at the Alliance species secession, the Alliance, and a handful of Keldebriar delegates, that the Consortium leadership, a Vulpexi of the same Phile as Matras, the now-deceased Grand Admiral of the Dominion, met with the other leaders. This one, however, was of little importance to the Dominion, and a Tyrsian mercenary he kept as a bodyguard. It was here that Murdoch struck one of the greatest terrorist acts of his career.

Adisa had been ordered to intercept him, as intelligence indicated he’d be at the meeting. He was to be captured or executed for past crimes against sapient life. She arrived at the meeting platform in orbit near Tenebras, christened the Inter-Species Platform New Path. The meeting was underway, with Adisa standing by, disguised as one of the Alliance delegation’s security team. As everyone filed into the room, Adisa’s eyes fell on a dark-haired, dark-eyed human mercenary standing by the Vulpexi delegate’s side, along with the Tyrsian delegate. The mercenary was of a build she was well familiar with. Light armor, wire-and-whipcord build, sharp, alert eyes, average height. He’d blend perfectly into a crowd, far more easily than she could, in fact.

Unfortunately, he was her target. Murdoch, one of the most clever, ruthless individuals this side of the galaxy was in the same room as she was, and merely drawing a weapon in that room was liable to start a war. The Ivari Archon was speaking angrily of the Alliance’s split from the Federation, and was further outraged at the idea the Alliance sent ambassadors rather than heads of state. 

The Nathian delegate replied, calmly. “The reality is that the Matriarch of Nathia has reliably been a part of negotiation, but as the Ivari’s policy of late has been to send lackeys when we ask to discuss certain treaty issues with them, regarding re-assimilation into the Federation by agreeable terms. As a result, it seemed reasonable to the Alliance to assume that this was going to be something that would be negotiated by Emissaries. The Palnt, Galri, humans and Nathians have all agreed upon terms that will be pursued by the alliance for the issues discussed at this meeting. Further, I note that the Vulpexi Consortium does not include their head of state, nor does the Keldebriar delegation.”

The Keldebriar delegate blinked, slowly, then replied, “This is hardly a meet subject to discuss. We are all mighty nations with priorities to attend, no? Let us not waste breath discussing grievances of pride.” Adisa studied the Keldebriar. Tall, with a face like a cougar, speaking in accented Galick, roughly two and a half meters in height, with broad shoulders, but nothing to compare to the brawn of a Tyrsian. All the same, they were a very disciplined people, unified under a strict honor after the outbreak of Kyriion that had happened in their empire some four hundred years before.

“We are here to discuss an alliance between the Keldebriar and the Federation, and the issue of recognizing the Consortium as a legitimate government that has replaced the former Vulpexi Dominion. My people have no interest in engaging in unnecessary conflict.” The Ivari began to speak in irritation, but the Keldebriar towered over him. “I recommend you do not convince me otherwise. It has not been forgotten, among more reactionary members of my race, that it was from your homeworld that the Plague originated, and that your people withheld critical information from humans that place your government in violation of our honor codes. Reactionaries make poor allies…but excellent and deadly foes, the likes of which my people test ourselves against.”

With that ominous threat, the Ivari stood down. “Of course, of course. Past grievances are past, and the Alliance, if it wishes to set them aside, may re-join the Federation, or they may choose instead to stand apart, their grievances with us mutually forgotten.” The Nathian delegate smiled, and spoke, calmly. “You are right, of course. Little need to address past issues when they are no longer relevant. Our issues with the Ivari are settled given that we no longer are bound to them. At any rate, the Consortium’s application to be recognized as a state is an interesting one, since by their own admission they see themselves more as a trading entity than a government.”

The Vulpexi delegate dipped its eyestalks, smoothly. “Of course, but all the same, if we have sovereignty, we are not obligated to limit ourselves to trade with either Federation or Alliance, a state of affairs beneficial to all involved, no?”

Adisa was keeping an eye on Murdoch, who was, unbeknownst to the rest of the room, the highest-ranking member of the Consortium. His expression was unreadable, but as always, he exuded an air of quiet confidence bordering on arrogance, as though all was going according to his plan.

The subject turned to the matter of the Sclunter Marauders, who were being dealt with in both the Alliance and Keldebriar space, but had been absent, thus far, from Federation or Consortium zones. The pirates were little more than an irritation, to be sure, however there were troubling rumors that the Federation were bribing them and the Consortium actively trading with them. Simultaneously, there were troubling rumors of ships carrying Keldebriar or Alliance civilians being captured by them, with the crew or passengers only released after a hefty ransom. 

Adisa, in the aftermath of her own investigation of the consortium, knew that the ransoms were often paid by the Consortium, then applied to those whose release was paid for as a debt to be worked off, not dissimilar from slavery, though given adequate time those individuals would work free of their debts, only to find themselves stranded on Vulpix Prime, unable to pay for passage out, forced to work for low wages there.

She’d submitted these reports to the Alliance, but when it was brought up, the Vulpexi delegate had merely smiled and waved an appendage, claiming this as a merely unfortunate circumstance, not some evil conspiracy. After all, he reasoned, such people could easily save up enough to charter transport to their homeworlds. This was a lie, but Adisa was now paying close attention to Murdoch, as the argument between groups got more heated, with the Federation chiming in suggestions amendments to the Treaty of Tenebras…that would grant significant advantages to both the Consortium and Federation, and in ways that would tempt the Keldebriar into an alliance with the Federation. Murdoch managed to slip out of the room as the argument continued, slowly winding down over the course of a few minutes before Adisa was dismissed, along with the Tyrsian bodyguard. 

“Do you know where your partner might have gone? I was ordered to keep an eye on the rest of the security details.”

The Tyrsian glowered, and gestured to the negative. Adisa pressed, “He was a significant factor during the war, and we have reason to believe that he might be involved in something else. His name is Murdoch.”

The Tyrsian turned to her, still uninterested, as she began searching the platform. “He was responsible for a few large-scale massacres, he’s a wanted criminal.”

The Tyrsian finally spoke. “You should be as well. You, Commander Hendrix, Col. Jaegar, and Tiger Squadron all killed scores of my people. The only one of your leaders to pay a price for his crimes was captain Shen, of the Rhino Tanks. We have heard that your mech pilot leader, Vasiliev, was recently re-activated with commendations for his actions. None of you fought with honor. To seek Murdoch’s death is the act of a hypocrite.”

Adisa ignored that and kept looking, concluding that she would learn nothing new from him. She wasn’t quite sure what Murdoch might be doing, but he’d seemed at his most assured when the delegates were arguing, especially the Alliance versus anyone…fuck.

She started racing for the reactor, quickly realizing that if he managed to do this, it would most likely be pinned on the alliance, starting a war with the Keldebriar that wasn’t likely to end well for either side, and swore when she found the reactor station empty. No…that wasn’t Murdoch’s way. His MO was always variable, he wouldn’t use explosives for this, especially since it could destroy useful evidence that he could use to frame her, the way a chemical agent…oh shit.

She quickly activated an exopack, one of the quick-deploy hazmat suits issued to most significant personnel, and raced towards the ventilation system. Murdoch was there, calmly loading a tank into the atmospheric system. “Well, glad to see you made it, Adisa. I take it you got the Tyrsian thinking we were enemies, not accomplices in this little venture?” Adisa instinctively dodged the swipe by the Tyrisian’s brutal scything vibroblade, quickly drawing her pistol. “What the hell did you load into that vent, Murdoch?” He chuckled moved quickly, making a few critical keystrokes on a panel just as she dropped the Tyrsian. Alarms started blaring as Murdoch raced for the meeting room.

“Chemical contamination in atmospheric systems. Chemical contamination in atmospheric systems. All personnel, evacuate, immediately.” Adisa realized his plan. Here she was, having just killed another security officer, in hazmat gear. Murdoch had cybernetic lungs, so he would be fine, but he would look like a hero with the luck to look innocent, while she would look like the one who’d launched the attack. False flag. She felt a degree of grudging admiration as she raced for the meeting room herself, grabbing as many delegates as she could, “Get out of here, exopacks on.”

She had to all but throw a few delegates into exit pods, climbing in alongside them. Declarations were made after footage surfaced. The cameras had come back on in time to capture her neutralizing the Tyrsian, but not in time to see Murdoch poisoning the atmospheric system. She had footage of her own, but due to the implications Murdoch had been clever enough to drop, it was only enough to clear her in the minds of the Alliance, not the Federation. Much less the Keldebriar. It proved, after all, that either the alliance had a false-flag agent with the Vulpexi, not that the alliance was innocent.


	6. Trial for a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adisa's trial after the events of that diplomatic conference, and a fitting set up for the next arc

Adisa stood at attention, garbed in the quiet, unobtrusive dress grays of Special Operations Command, Terran Republic Military. The court of Alliance dignitaries looked at her from around the room. Her hands were temporarily restrained, as were her ankles, which while mildly insulting, was standard procedure for an accused terrorist, and given that Adisa actually was capable of killing everyone in the room with her bare hands she grudgingly acknowledged that it made sense as a precaution.

The charges were read by the Nathian Matriarch, some of her proud, silver fur having sloughed off in the aftermath of the chemical attack at the ISP New Path. “You are charged with terrorist actions against heads of state, murder of a guard in the line of his duties, multiple counts of attempted assassination, and committing unsanctioned acts of war against three sovereign states.”

Adisa winced. Literally all of those were capital crimes. Her body camera footage would clear her of at least a few of them, but would likely raise questions about Murdoch’s statements. “I have submitted the footage taken from the sensor arrays on my armor, which will verify at least some of what I am about to say. The human mercenary that was traveling with the Vulpexi ambassador wasn’t some common merc, he was Murdoch Camitz, formerly a warrant officer in the Spiders. There’s an extradition warrant for him after crimes during several large-scale battles, and there were some confused reports of him working as a mercenary during the war of annihilation with the Synthor, but none of them were confirmed. Chemical weapons were always a favorite tool of his when he could, especially respiratory agents, since he had cybernetic lungs, he was immune to their effects.”

She paused, trying to think of how she could explain the most dangerous man she’d ever met. “Murdoch has his reasons for joining on with the Consortium. Probably more than just the fact that they don’t want to execute him for war crimes, despite being on the receiving end of more than a few. He has a certain ideology, sort of social Darwinist. Humans have the ability to conquer everything, because we’re tough and able to absorb more punishment, meaning no offense to other species here, we also have a longstanding military tradition that trumps that of just about every other species but the Keldebriar. That means, to his mind, we should. If he’s playing the consortium, it’s so they can make money, which would excite them, and get humanity to become yet more militaristic, ideally hoping to break this alliance so that humans are left with no choice but to conquer or be conquered.”

The murmur that moved through the nonhuman delegates at her trial was nervous. No, that was the wrong word. The word was terrified. She could sense the anxiety in the room. The idea of humans actively going to war against them was horrifying, especially given the brutality that had been shown in both their wars so far. It had been acceptable when it had been used to destroy the Dominion, but the idea of a human group that acted like the predators they’d evolved to be…

The Terran Republic president spoke. “How do you know that, Adisa? You may speak candidly, since any intelligence you may have on Murdoch cannot be at a level of classification that those in this room cannot hear.” 

She smiled, gratefully. That was likely why the Star Marshall had wanted this to be in front of the Alliance’s heads of state. “Murdoch, as you all know, was part of the Spiders, which were similar to the Viper Teams, such as the one I led. The difference was that where the Viper teams engaged in targeted strikes or engaging the enemy in hit-and-run attacks against strategic targets, the Spiders were more frequently used for deniable attacks that could be blamed on other factions within the Vulpexi. In many cases, the men and women involved in the spiders were more interested in intelligence than assassination. Murdoch’s teams were primarily divided into intelligence gathering and destabilization teams. Vulpexi were extremely hierarchical and many of the middle ranks squabbled for ascension, which made them useful. This kind of attack, deniable, easy to pin on someone else, designed to get allies squabbling over blame for something none of them did, it’s what he does, it’s what he does better than just about anyone else in the galaxy.”

She paused. “My claim to his motives mostly tracks with comments he’s made off the record to me and others between missions, however, that he holds ideas of human primacy over alien life forms is difficult to controvert. He was disavowed, but many of the communications he’s spread since, that I’ve been tracking in my efforts to hunt him down and execute him, have played to the idea that rescuing aliens was not worth risking human lives, a cry that has been taken up by a few isolationist groups widely ignored by the Terran Republic body politic. For him to work with the Dominion in this allows him to do a few different things. If I’m the one to take the blame, and he convinces others that it was humans as a whole that sanctioned this, the alliance breaks apart and humanity fights for survival on its own. If the Dominion is blamed, he slips away from it while humanity invades it a second time, in such a way that looks as though we’re covering ourselves, forcing us to fight much of the non-Alliance galaxy. In either case, he gets humanity to continue its march to militancy.” 

There was a pause, during which the Terran Republic president coughed, awkwardly. “I see your concern. However, I would like to, now and both on and off record to my fellow heads of state, confirm that that is not something that humanity is planning on doing, now or ever.” He turned back to Adisa. “Do you have evidence of him being responsible for this?”

“As I said, the body camera footage should be helpful. However, a former contact of mine, Viper Team techy, already slipped the sensors of the New Path. It should confirm that the infiltration of the atmospheric systems well predates my arrival into that system’s control room.”

Adisa was ordered to stand where she was as the leaders discussed the evidence and reviewed what had been given to them. 

The Palnt Speaker voiced his thoughts first. “This evidence does seem to clear her of being the one to poison the atmospheric system. It doesn’t clear her of any allegation of collusion with Murdoch.”

The Nathian Matriarch spoke. “It doesn’t track for her to attempt this then rescue us, though.”

The Galri High Cleric nodded, “It doesn’t. Though I have no idea why Murdoch, the way she’s describing, doesn’t seem like the type to make mistakes that she could slip out of so easily.”

“That’s a concerning thought. However, as we have no evidence against her beyond allegations of a professed terrorist, and I doubt that’s adequate to convict.”

Adisa had stood to the entire few hours it had taken them to fully view the evidence, watch the experts testify about the sensors. When they came back out, they declared her not guilty, then asked a question. “Murdoch, by his entire previous record, does not seem the type to throw together a frame job this obvious.”

Adisa winced and shook her head. “So why was this one what it was? He wasn’t expecting me to be there. I suspect he took a target of opportunity, knowing it probably wouldn’t be enough to get rid of me, but would be enough to slow me down, and give him a few galactic standard weeks to plan his next moves. Plus, you have another problem now. Convincing the rest of the galaxy, the Federation, the Keldebriar, the Consortium, that he was the one responsible and that he and I weren’t in it together.”

She was released. Her mission orders, signed by the Council of the Alliance, and the Star Marshal:

_ Sgt. Adisa, your orders: Assemble a Viper Team, any composition necessary. You will be unable to draw on any large-scale support for a few years, until the end of Murdoch’s arranged diplomatic crisis. The diplomatic struggles are not your concern, however. Your mission, and that of the team you assemble, is entirely singular. Hunt down and execute the renegade operative: Murdoch Camitz. _


End file.
